Of David.
I
To you, Lord, I call;
my Rock, do not be deaf to me,
Do not be silent toward me,
so that I join those who go down to the pit.
Hear the sound of my pleading when I cry to you for help
when I lift up my hands toward your holy place.
Do not drag me off with the wicked,
with those who do wrong,
Who speak peace to their neighbors
though evil is in their hearts.
Repay them for their deeds,
for the evil that they do.
For the work of their hands repay them;
give them what they deserve.
Because they do not understand the Lord’s works,
the work of his hands,
He will tear them down,
never to rebuild them.
II
Blessed be the Lord,
who has heard the sound of my pleading.
The Lord is my strength and my shield,
in whom my heart trusts.
I am helped, so my heart rejoices;
with my song I praise him.
III
Lord, you are a strength for your people,
the saving refuge of your anointed.
Save your people, bless your inheritance;
pasture and carry them forever!
Psalms 28:1-9
The psalmist asks God, “Do not be silent toward me, so that I join those who go down to the pit.” This is a great request, and I can relate! We know that the way to lasting joy is to live the lives that God has planned for us. The trick is, figuring out exactly what that is.
Do you ever wish God’s voice would just come booming down from heaven with specific instructions? Wouldn’t that make things easier? I mean, how can I be sure that I’m really on the right track?
I have asked that question, at least in my head, so many times! It really is hard to sort through all the messages we get every day, isn’t it? Sometimes an idea pops into my head out of the blue, and I wonder if that is God talking to me. It could be. How can I be sure?
I read some advice recently (I’m sorry, I can’t remember where I read this one.) that said to consider the content of the message. Does it inspire you to behave in a way that brings you closer to God? If so, it might be God talking to you. Of course, having the perspective to answer that question requires us to know a little bit about God and about faith.
Often times, we know, God speaks to us through other people. I have had several experiences like that in the last few years. In fact, that might be why I started Everyday Catholic Woman. Again, we have to be careful to discern those messages for what they are.
If you want to hear a neat story about being open to God’s guidance, search “shoulder taps” on Facebook and find a video from a guy named Bill Hart. It looks like you could find him at www.facebook.com/coachbillhart. I don’t know why this one is so memorable for me, but it certainly reminds me how God talks to us through other people …and more importantly, how he might want to talk to others through us.
Let’s keep that prayer in mind today, asking God to guide us, especially when He needs us to carry His messages of love to others. “Lord, you are a strength for your people, the saving refuge of your anointed.”